North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball

The North Carolina Tar Heels, who play their ball in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), are one of the most storied and successful teams in all of NCAA college basketball. Along with ranking third in all-time wins (2294) and second in all-time winning percentage (.735), the Tar Heels have qualified for the NCAA postseason March Madness tournament 51 times, registering a record 131 tournament game wins (tied nationally with the Kentucky Wildcats for first). The team has appeared in the Final Four a record 21 times, reaching the final championship game on 12 of those occasions where they have have a 50-50 record, losing 6 (most recently in 2022) but winning the other 6 (most recently in 2017) to bring their NCAA championships total to 6 (third historically in championships behind the UCLA Bruins and Kentucky Wildcats). Beyond all these records and stats, however the North Carolina Tar Heels are far more famous for the many incredible players that have worn the Tar Heels blue and white shirt before moving on to superstardom in the NBA. Head and shoulders (and possibly knees, given his vert!) above all others, of course, is the great Michael Jordan, who reportedly arrived in Chapel Hill in his freshman year as a rather raw and unpolished guard. Coached by the legendary Dean Smith, for whom the team’s home arena, Dean Smith Center (constructed in 1986), is now named, Jordan worked hard to improve his game and, in 1982, scored a last minute game-winning shot (as he would later do so often in the NBA that it became his trademark) to help the Tar Heels defeat the Georgetown Hoyas 63-62 and win their second-ever national NCAA championship (and first since 1957). Tar Heels alums James Worthy and Vince Carter, a pair of walking NBA highlight reels themselves, would no doubt have easily been the greatest ever players to come out of most NCAA colleges, but with his Airness soaring high over the history books, their greatness can only ever really come in at second best for UNC. In recent years, the Tar Heels have been consistent contenders in the NCAA March Madness tournament, reaching the Final Four on 10 occasions since 2000, out of which the team finished runners-up twice (2016, 2022) and won the NCAA championship three times (2005, 2009, 2017). However, 2022-2023 was an extremely disappointing season for the Tar Heels as they failed to make it to the NCAA postseason tournament due to a poor regular season conference record. The team and their legions of Tar Heels will be looking for a return to greatness in the seasons to come. 

How can I get cheap tickets to North Carolina Tar Heels games?

While more than a third of tiny Chapel Hill’s population could fit inside the Dean Smith Center, the arena is still somehow always packed to the rafters whenever the high-flying North Carolina Tar Heels are in town. While the Tar Heels‘ many deep runs into the NCAA March Madness tournament, including 6 national championships, have contributed to the team’s popularity at the national level, nothing has put the team on the basketball map as convincingly as being the alma mater of Michael Jordan, considered by most to be the greatest basketball player of all time. With Jordan, James Worthy, Vince Carter and many other NBA stars having attended North Carolina, Tar Heels fans are always keen to come and see who their next big star might be. All this enthusiasm makes for a good atmosphere, but it can render tickets tricky to get your hands on, especially for postseason tournament games, key conference deciders, or rivalry matchups (see below). To find all the cheapest tickets to North Carolina Tar Heels games, check the TicketX listings on this page and use our trusty TicketX seating chart to compare prices and locations. Tickets can be bought from TicketX with just one click for the lowest commission fees! 

North Carolina Tar Heels Basketball Rivalries

A basketball team with six national titles to its name that can boast the greatest player of all time among the ranks of its alumni is always going to end up irking the fans, players, and coaches of plenty of other teams. As well as a local state rivalry with the NC State Wolfpack (which stands at a rather overwhelming all-time 164–80 record in favor of the Tar Heels), the North Carolina Tar Heels have long considered the Duke Blue Devils from nearby Durham, North Carolina, to be their most serious rivals. With just 10 miles separating the two teams and plenty of spice added by the fact that North Carolina is a public university while Duke is a private college, along with the proud history and strong records of both teams, this rivalry has been described as one of the most intense college rivalries in all of American college sport. While the overall series stands at 144-117 in favor of the Tar Heels, revenge will be on UNC minds in 2024 after suffering a 94-93 to the Blue Devils in 2023. 

Are North Carolina Tar Heels basketball games exciting?

Despite being home to such a big team as the Tar Heels, the Dean Smith Centerhas received criticism in the past as lacking in atmosphere. Critics have attributed this to what they term the “cheese and wine” crowd comprised of older alumni fans who tend to have seats in the lower levels of the stadium (and often don’t turn up at all), relegating the more raucous student cheering sections into the upper tiers. The university has attempted to improve the situation by creating a student seating area behind one of the baskets. Regardless, the Smith Center still seems to confer a considerable home court advantage on the Tar Heels, with the team having posted just one losing season at home in all their years at the venue.